The Lighterman, N1

Large modern pub / restaurant on three levels in a fine position overlooking the Regent's Canal - the 'L'-shaped ground floor bar with outside seating in Granary Square, a larger downstairs bar with a large patio area beside the towpath and a first-floor dining room with a balcony. Two (rather unobvious) handpumps on the street-level bar-back and three more on the lower bar counter, offering a couple of Crate beers plus Peckham Pale from Brick Brewery (£5.20 - ouch!). To be fair, I found it more appealing on a fine evening than most other reviewers.

A great PSM review covers all the important detail of this new addition to the canalside scene at Kings Cross Granary Square.Although the canalside bar was closed on my midweek afterrnoon visit,I did spy three handpumps here and agree this is the most drinker friendly looking part of this trendy bar.The ground floor is OK for drinkers but the best views are dedicated to dining tables,and the two handpumps here aren't as obvious,with on my trip Dark Star Hophead and Crate Rye (decent condition but £5pp???).The eight keg taps weren't drawing anything too exciting and beware that the drinking tables in this section can be booked,although a start time for the booking is advertised.Although it's hip and cool in here,it's largely aimed at a younger audience and I can't see a return visit for a real ale session.

This fairly recently built pub and restaurant in the Granary Square complex, is a three storey venue offering some fine views of the Regent's Canal and toward neighbouring Kings Cross station. The location next to the canal no doubt works very well in the summer and there was a good deal of outdoor seating on approach for those wanting to soak up the view. Upon entering, you are met by a greeter stood at a lectern. I was able to establish that it is okay to pop in just for a drink, despite the place being very busy with diners early on a Saturday evening. The ground floor room is a fairly straightforward rectangular space with the servery to the rear, an open kitchen to the front left and a long row of shelving units through the middle, effectively dividing the room in two. There are bare floorboards and granite effect tiles throughout with formally set tables and chairs to the front, left and right and just three high tables and stools opposite the bar for drinkers. Thankfully these were the only free tables in the room, so I was able to perch there with my pint and watch the goings on. The bar has a rather uninspiring grey counter and bar back, with a lot of bottles on show, presumably for the many cocktails available. Large floor to ceiling windows down either side of the room give some decent views and allow plenty of light in. The central shelves are filled with all manner of random bits including plants, vases, bottles and the like. Music played fairly loudly, but the lack of soft furnishings meant that the noise of the crowd drowned it out at times. Stairs lead up to a first floor restaurant where I presume the views are even better. I was just about to draw the same conclusion as the previous reviewer, in that this isn't really much of a pub, but before leaving I popped downstairs where I discovered a large basement bar with a separate servery along the right hand wall, a couple more partitioning shelving units breaking up the space and a good deal of canteen bench-style seating, none of which was being used by diners. The music was a little louder down here, but this is definitely the spot to head to if you're just here for a drink. I was too late to fully appreciate this room and I was also too late to try their cask ale, as I'd already ordered a pint of keg Crate Pale (£5.20) when I spotted a couple of handpulls on the bar back, dispensing Dark Star Hophead and Crate Rye (£5.00 each). Other keg options comprised beers from Freedom, 1936, Peroni and Meantime, plus a cider from Hoxton Cidersmiths. The bottled range was fairly limited and the bar staff seemed to spend most of their time making cocktails. The Pale was okay but terribly overpriced for a 4.5% beer brewed a short distance away. This wasn't quite as bad as I'd expected having read the reviews below, but it's also not the easiest place to warm to. I think you'd be best off coming here for food or maybe for a summer drink outside, but the downstairs bar hinted at a bit of potential, so long as you don't mind paying through the nose for your beer.